What Every Freezer Needs: Vegetable Stock

You may think this is not important but it is. The amount of times a so-called 'quick' recipe has called for stock and I've gotten stuck either with a not so quick recipe or having to use the awful salt-stuffed store bought stuff is a few times too many and I've taken an oath to make more stock in advance. It's  really just doing yourself a big favour in advance.

The good thing about this recipe is that it's not really a recipe. It's sort of just a template. It's perfect for those guilty out-of-date vegetable and herb keepers too.

Easy Gluten Free Oatmeal Pancakes

I don't know why I'm always last on the band wagon for pancake day. Even when I was a kid, all my friends in school would discuss their excitement for their after school pancakes and I'd arrive home, excited for my own but arrive to none. This might have been to do with living in an a very American household. My mother is extremely patriotic, Halloween, July 4th, Thanksgiving, are all major holidays in our home, but I guess she hadn't yet figured out the whole British thing and didn't no about Saint Pancake. In her defence, we did have plenty (and I don't mean that in the Ottolenghi sense, I mean PLENTY) of very good pancakes growing up, I guess on America's pancake day... AKA most Sunday mornings.

This year, I just about made it in time, although I admit, if any Pancake Day celebrators are looking for a recipe, I'm sure they've already found it by now, maybe between 2-3pm before it was time to pick up their excited little pancake-eyed kiddies. (As you can tell, I'm still a little bitter about my lack of Pancakes on Pancake Day).


To be honest, I rarely eat pancakes because someone once told me they expand in your stomach and that scared me. (I bet whoever that was is laughing now). However,  I think I've developed an non-expanding pancake recipe. I've been attempting going gluten-free recently so these are totally guilt free for those doing the same, but just as fluffy and good.

Roasted Radish Salad with Roasted Garlic, Balsamic Rosemary Dressing

Radishes. They may be pretty and pink, which is part of the reason I love them, but we don't always know what to do with them. 

Admittedly, they're actually not at they're not at their best at the moment but when I pass them in the grocery, I'm always so tempted.

A lot of the time they're used to decorate a plate of sushi and we kind of ignore them, we may not even know that what we're looking at but I'm here to tell you they're actually pretty good at bulking up an otherwise boring old salad.

If you want to skip the salad, they're also perfect as a side (especially with steak, surprisingly) if you're trying to cut down on the carbs.

Roasted Beets with Goats Cheese and Rosemary Cauliflower 'Bread' Crumbs

I've always felt like beets taste like mud. A very childish statement, I admit but they did and I'm sure I can find plenty of people that agree with me. And before you coo "how do you know what mud tastes like?" think back to the days of mud pies in the playground and don't pretend you never tasted yours.

The thing is though, when beets don't taste like mud, they really are very good. Not to mention my previous confession for my love of radio-active looking foods. I really am such a child. (I also like  animal shaped foods).

My point is, these beets don't taste like mud, to me. They taste very very good and they're very very easy to make. Let's move on from mud pies and go for something a little more refined this play time.

PS. Speaking of 'earthy' food we take from the dirt,(or the playground) those little flowers you see are rosemary and as I discovered this week, just as edible and flavoursome than the rosemary you're used to. I found them sprouting out of my rosemary plant and thought they looked so pretty sprinkled on top!

P.P.S Beets have an amazing source of iron!

Lemon Roasted Carrots With A Hint Of Ultra Violet

One of my favourite things is using crazy coloured fruits and vegetables. I'm always tempted to start making finger paintings using my blackberry stained hands but then I remember I'm no longer 7 years old and have no child/nephew/niece/5 year old friend to blame for the beet coloured hedgehog picture hanging on my fridge. Nevertheless, I still get very excited by those radioactive-looking ingredients. Forget artificial food colourings and dyes, they really are just as mesmerising and I'm convinced I can one day make my future kids choose the purple carrot (maybe with the help of the 'carrots give you super-eyesight-powers' line) over the purple gummy worm. (Although, I have nothing against gummy worms once in a while).

Roasted Carrots are a staple in my house. They're delicious and easy and everyone is a fan, including the puppy. I found some amazing looking purple carrots and decided to mix it up a bit this time. It worked out very well, aesthetically and in taste. The purple carrots have a bit of a different taste and texture so you get a different flavour in every bite.

Feel free to try this recipe with just  the purple, or even just the orange.

Spelt Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate chip cookies are like currency. I've certainly used them for bribes before. They're the perfect gift, hostess trick and air freshener and let's be real, they're irresistible. Maybe a little too irresistible. I'm sure I'm not the only one with a shoulder conscience in a devil costume convincing me to take another, resulting in resenting those cookies, despite how good they are.

I'm not bad mouthing the all sugar, all butter, generally all around guilty cookies but these are just a little bit easier on the guilt and on the belly. If you're not so into rich desserts, they're perfect because they're not too sweet. Don't be turned off by the word 'healthy', you'll still find it impossible not to grab 'just one more'.

Toasted Farro 'Fagioli'

The 'novelty' of Winter is wearing off, let's be honest. It always starts off with the excitement of the prospect of snow, hot chocolates, Christmas lights and new cashmere. Now all that's left is cold hands and resentment (not to mention a few extra kilos from those hot chocolates).

I know how awful it is taking that journey home, in the freezing cold darkness. It feels like it's the dead of night but it's only 6pm and you're already ready to drop.

I know warmth can't come soon enough but for now, all I can offer is this awesome recipe for what might make you feel just a little bit better after a cold day.

I call it 'Farro Fagioli' because it was inspired by Paste e Fagioli and I use Farro instead of pasta. (Italian spelt).

Hope you like it!